Unwinding the State subsidisation of private health insurance in Ireland

Ireland's private health insurance market provides primarily supplementary health insurance for hospital services, operating alongside a public hospital system to which residents have universal access entitlements, subject to some copayments for those without a medical card. The State subsidises the purchase of private health insurance through measures including tax relief on premiums and not charging the full economic cost for private beds in public hospitals. Furthermore, privately insured patients occupying public beds in public hospitals did not, until 2014, incur charges for such accommodation, apart from modest statutory charges. In the Budget in October 2013, a number of measures were announced that began to unwind these subsidies. Although it was initially feared that these measures would add to premium inflation, leading in turn to further discontinuation of health insurance, the evidence suggests that premium inflation has eased and take-up has stabilised, although some of this may have been due to the introduction of lifetime community rating in May 2015. Nevertheless, it would appear that the restriction on the subsidisation of private health insurance has not had a significant adverse effect on the market, while it has reduced an inequitable cross-subsidy.     

Measuring the effects of reducing subsidies for private insurance on public expenditure for health care

This paper investigates the effects of reducing subsidies for private health insurance on public sector expenditure for hospital care. An econometric framework using simultaneous equation models is developed to analyse the interrelated decisions on the intensity and type of health care use and private insurance. The framework is applied to the context of the mixed public–private system in Australia. The simulation projections show that reducing premium subsidies is expected to generate net cost savings. This arises because the cost savings achieved from reducing subsidies are larger than the potential increase in public expenditure on hospital care.     

基层医疗卫生机构基本药物零差率政策的实施现状分析

基本药物制度作为现阶段我国医疗卫生体制改革的重点,其相关政策的顺利执行起着关键作用.基本药物零差率政策在基层医疗卫生机构推行一年多以来,存在的问题也逐步显现.本文着重分析该政策的实施现状及存在问题,并提出相应的改善措施.     

新农合异地直补问题分析及对策

新农合省内异地直补政策是关系全国三分之二人口切身利益的大事。但直补工作也给定点医院的经济运行和管理等带来新的压力和挑战。在公立医院改革、健全分级诊疗体系、大力开展全国新农合跨省就医费用核查和结报工作的大环境下,定点医院应了解并着力解决好存在的问题,力争使直补政策顺利实施,同时提升定点医院管理服务水平,实现二者协同发展。     

3省项目（区）县流动人口肺结核患者补助措施效果评价

目的评价流动人口肺结核病患者补助措施提高治疗依从性的效果。方法在广东、山东和福建3个省中分别选择1个第五轮中国全球基金流动人口结核病防治项目的区（县）作为研究现场,在每个现场抽取接受交通和营养补助、只接受交通补助、无任何补助的新涂阳肺结核患者各25例,新涂阴肺结核患者各25例,总计为450例,对每例患者进行问卷调查。结果接受交通补助和营养补助组的疗程完成率为92.0%,只接受交通补助组的疗程完成率为90.7%,无任何补助组疗程完成率为78.0%,三组间比较存在统计学差异（P〈0.01）;接受交通补助和营养补助组的和只接受交通补助组的丢失率分别为1.3%和3.3%,无任何补助组的丢失率为8.0%,三组间比较存在统计学差异（P〈0.05）。结论向患者提供交通和营养补助能提高患者治疗的依从性。     

Comparing the welfare effects of public and private health care subsidies in the United Kingdom

We use a calibrated analytical model to compare the welfare costs (gross of externalities) of increasing subsidies for public and private health care in the UK. The model incorporates wait costs for rationed public care, burdens that subsidies impose on the tax system, and distributional weights for different households. Welfare costs are significantly higher for expanding public health care over a range of parameter scenarios. Both policies reduce average wait times, but for public health care this is offset by new waiting costs incurred on extra treatments. And the burden on the tax system is much larger for expanding public health care.     

Income Responses to the Affordable Care Act: Evidence from a Premium Tax Credit Notch

We examine responses to the ACA subsidy for Marketplace health insurance in the first year of subsidy availability. Drawing on federal tax data and focusing on a notch in the schedule where eligibility is lost, we document that taxpayers lowered their income to remain eligible for the subsidy. The observed bunching is modest relative to the size of the notch, which, consistent with larger responses we detect in additional analyses among certain subgroups, is likely explained by significant optimization frictions. Finally, we find suggestive evidence that increased deductions drive some of the response, while reduced labor supply also plays a role.     

Pertussis Immunisation in Pregnancy Safety (PIPS) Study: A retrospective cohort study of safety outcomes in pregnant women vaccinated with Tdap vaccine

BackgroundNew Zealand has funded the administration of tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during pregnancy to prevent infant pertussis since 2013. The aim of this study was to assess the safety of Tdap vaccine administered to pregnant women as part of a national maternal immunisation programme.MethodsWe conducted a national retrospective observational study using linked administrative New Zealand datasets. The study population consisted of pregnant women eligible to receive funded Tdap vaccination from 28 to 38 weeks gestation in 2013. Primary study outcomes were based on prioritised adverse events for the assessment of vaccine safety in pregnant women, as defined by WHO and Brighton Collaboration taskforces. We examined the effect of Tdap vaccination on prioritised maternal outcomes using Cox proportional hazard models. Adjusted hazard ratios controlled for key confounding variables.ResultsIn the cohort of 68,550 women eligible to receive funded antenatal Tdap vaccination during 2013, 8178 (11.9%) were vaccinated and 60,372 (88.1%) were unvaccinated. The use of Tdap in pregnancy was not associated with an increase in the rate of primary outcomes, including preterm labour; pre-eclampsia; pre-eclampsia with severe features; eclampsia; gestational hypertension; fetal growth restriction; or post-partum haemorrhage. Tdap also did not increase secondary outcomes, including gestational diabetes mellitus; antenatal bleeding; placental abruption; premature rupture of membranes; preterm delivery; fetal distress; chorioamnionitis; or, maternal fever during or after labour. Lactation disorders was the only secondary maternal outcome with a significantly increased hazard ratio. Tdap vaccine had a protective effect on pre-eclampsia with severe features, preterm labour, preterm delivery, and antenatal bleeding.ConclusionWe did not detect any biologically plausible adverse maternal outcomes following Tdap vaccination during pregnancy. This study provides further assurance that Tdap administration during pregnancy is not associated with unexpected safety risks.